Automatic electric flasher



Aug. 14, 192s.

D. ULREY ET Al.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC FLASHER Filed June 28, 1923 f/g z.

wlTNEssEs; @Vf/M AiToRNEY Patented Aug. 14, 192s.

UNITED srakrlszsz f lamieraY PATENT] OFFICE'.

DAYTON r-ULRIlflY AND DANIEL I. MAYNE, WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-SIGNORS TO W'ESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. COR-PORATION F PENNIA.

l .coronario ELEc'rR'rc rLAsHn-n.

application med :une as, 1923. serial No. 643.245.

-i Our invention relates to circuit interrupters and more particularlyt\the type known as flashers. .y

An object of our invention isto provide a Huid-containing flasher withmeans for eliminating breakage incident to the trans portation thereof.

Another object ofour invention. 1s to prf.)- videa ashenofthe typecontaining a uld and a float having means for preventing the ioat fromdestroying the container during transportation. y

Another object of our invention is to provide a flasher of the Huid typehaving a time interval between the interrupting and the closing of anelectrical circuit..H

It is also an object of our mventlon to 'provide a iiasher with meansfor utilizing the iiuid interrupts and closes an electrical circuit. Toprevent the float fromvdestroying the container durin shipment, we havefoundy it advisable to interpose. cushioning means between the ends ofthe floating member' and the walls of the receptacle. We have also foundthat a relatively long, shallowr'chamber, in which the electricalcontact is made or interru t'ed, `is 'advantageous for producin adesires time interval in the operation' o the asher. f

. Our invention is an improvement over thestructure shown-'and describedin the application o'Dayton Ulre Serial No. 622,878, filedv'kMar. 5,-,1923, ase, No.. 10096),I and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric8'." Manufacturing Compan f In the accompanying awings Eiuregl1s;a.ysectional view of a asher toget er-with the aociatedelectricalclr- Y cuits embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form of flasher.` i Fig. 8 is a viewshowing the positien assumed by .the fluid while .the electrical circuitisy mterrupted.

In the several figures of the drawing, similar reference numeralsindicate like parts.

In the referred form of our invention, a asher 1, avlng a receptacle orcontainer 2,

which maybe in thev form of a sealed glass tube, is adaptedforintermittently connectmg a supply circuit 3 to a circuit 4, such as astreet lighting circuit containing a' plurallty of lamps 5 whichmaygbearranged elther in series or parallel connection. A solenoid 6surrounds the receptacle 2 and is connected to the circuit 43 in suchmanner that its `circuit is interrupted 'simultaneously wlth the circuit4. A variable resistor 7 may be placed in circuit with the solenoid 6for al purpose to be hereinafter discussed.

The container 2 comprises an elongated sectionlllcontaining a conductingliqauid 12,

such as mercury and an extension 13 having a restrictedpassage 14, whichterminates in an 4enlargedinverted U-shape chamber 15. Electricalcontactmembers 16 and 17 are inserted through the wall of the chamberand make contact with theA liquid 12. The

central portion 18 of the lchamber'15 has a relatively long, flatsurface for a purpose to be hereinafter discussed. The contact mem- A16and 17 are placed on oppositesides of the portion 18. f

' A member 19 of magnetizable material is in the elongated section 11and is adapted to iloat on the uid 12. lC ushioning means in theform ofspiral springs 21 are provided on the opposite ends of the ioat member19 in such manner thatthey serve as buffers between the ends thereof andthe end wallls'of the elongated section 11.

In the operation of our im roved iasher,

ourrenttraverses the solenoi 6fattracting the oat 19 in a manner tocause it to' change' its position relative to the fluid' 12. $1-attraction may either lift the `ioat from the fluid 12 ordepress itfurther therein. o

In the form of our invention shown in Fig.f 1, the :solenoid is adatedto lift the oat 19. As the lioat 19 is rawn upwardly,

the y Huid from the-.chamber A15 tends to traverse the restrictedpassage 14 until the electrical circuit between the contacts 16 'and' 17is interrupted across the surface'18.

So 80011 as the electrical connection is interrupted the solenoid 6 andthe lamps 5 are de -energized. The (le-energization. of solenoid 6allows the float 19, to fall backpinto and the solenoid. 6 and theliquid 12 with theresult that a movement of the fluid 12 from.`thesection 11 to the chamber 15 takes place through the passage 14. When asufficient amount. of Huid has returned to the chamber 15, electricalconnec;

tion is again made across at the'srface 18v energized.

In order that there bea suicient time lag 'between the closing andinterrupting of the electrical circuit, a variable 'resistor' 20 may beinterposed in circuit with the coil 6 thereby controlling the currentstrength and therefore the ampere-turns effective upon the float 19. By'regulating the cross-sectional area of theu passage 14, the rate'ofmovement of lthe fluid vbetween the chamber 15 and the fao section 11may also be regulated.

We have also found, that by making the surfacelS longand broad fit ispossible to enploy the surface tension of the liquid itself forproducing a time, lag; We have observed that the particles of the fluid'12.tend to cohere rather than move along the surface 18. Stated inother words, asshown in Fi A3, the "fluidtends` to pile up rather-thanspread in a thin 'sheet over the surface I8.l

By proper design of the surface-18, .the surface tension or cohesion ofthe fluid may be' lutilized to l've a further ,time'lag in the openingan closingof the circuit between the contacts 16 and 17 W havefoundthatfrequentbreakage of is provided. In order to avoid this 'loss,we

have .provided resilient means, such as springs'21, attached at the endsof the'float member, Longitudinal movement of` the oatn member isaccordingly cushioned when t e float-:comes in contact with .the ends ofthe section 11. Relatively no lateral movement ofthe" float 19 isexperienced in,

the 'section l-11 by: reason of the small clear-v ance between the innersurface thereof and the outer;- snrface of ,the float member 19.

In the formof our invention shown in Fig; 2,' w'e have provided alongitudinal support member 22 which extends len hwise of the section11. The-float mem er 19-is provided with a longitudinally extendingopening 23 through which the rod 22 err-4 tends With a: loose fit.fResilient means, such assprings 24, are loosely mounted on the rod 22adjacent to/the ends of the oating member 19 to cushion'lon'git'udinalmovements of l the float member in the same manner as do l ff.'

' identical.

lamps 5 are) again n recptacle'2 during transportation has vbeen uced byimpact of the float on-the walls ofthe receptacle when no cushioningmeans thesprings 21, Fig. 1. -on of the .Contact Lmembers 16 and 17,shown in Fig. 1, may

be eliminated by attaching a' conductor at one end of the rod 22. In allother structural features and operation thetwo flashers are Itwill thusbeseen that we hve provided a new and improved flasher in which meansare' provided for producing atime lag between the interrupting andclosing of 4an electrical circuit, by making use of the surlfacetensionor cohesion of a conducting trical circuit by changing the levelthereof,

'and means for causing a time lag in the movement of said fluidcomprising means :for vutilizing vthe surface tenslon of said fluid andmeans for controllingv the delivery of fluid to Athe last said means.

causing sa1d fluid'to interrupt and to close an electrical circuit bychanging the level thereof; and means whereby the surfacetension 1. In aswitch structure, a vessel, a con ducting fluid lin said vessel, meansfor caus- -ing said fluid to interrupt and closean elec- 2. In a switchstructure, a receptacle, a fconductin fluid-in saidr'eceptacle, meansfor of said fluid is Iemployed for causing a time lag in the. movementofsaid fluid comprismg acha'mber having a relatively long flat surface.over which the fluid moves in closing the circuit and means forcontrolling the delivery of fluid to the said chamber.

3. In a'switchgstructure, a receptacle, a.

causing said fluid to interrupt and closeI an electrical vcircuit bychanging the level thereof, and meanswhereby` the surfacetensionAconducting iuid'in said receptacle, means for l of said Huid isemployed ,for effecting atime 'lag in thel movement of said fluidcomprising an extension to said receptacle having a restricted passage`terminating in a relatively long and shallow chamber having asubstantially ilat surface over which the fluid moves in closing thecircuit.

'In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 20thday 192e.-L

` DAYTON ULREY.

I' y DANIEL I. MAYNE.

of June,

